defender

noun

de·​fend·​er di-ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
Synonyms of defendernext
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (such as football) assigned to a defensive position

Synonyms of defender

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Examples of defender in a Sentence

one of the traditional roles of an older brother is that of schoolyard defender
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the graphic below shows, Fernandez-Pardo is comfortable running in-behind down the channels and sending in crosses, as well as beating his defender and cutting balls back for team-mates. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026 An attacker can usually build and deploy a missile (or another warhead or a decoy) more cheaply than a defender can build and deploy enough interceptors to stop it. — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 The All-Pro defensive tackle agrees to a six-year, $135-million deal, which surpasses Von Miller’s contract in Denver as the new benchmark for defenders. — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026 El Sayed’s defenders have sought to justify the comments, noting the attacker lost family in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for defender

Word History

Etymology

Middle English defendour, defender, borrowed from Anglo-French defendour, defendur, from defend-, stem of defendre "to defend" + -our, -ur -or entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of defender was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing defender

Rhymes for defender

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Browse Nearby Words

defendant
defender
defender office
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Cite this Entry

“Defender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defender. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er -ˈfen-dər How to pronounce defender (audio)
1
: one that defends
2
: a player in a sport (as football) who plays a defensive position

Legal Definition

defender

noun
de·​fend·​er
: a lawyer who represents defendants
especially : public defender
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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